ce n'eftoit pas noftre couftume de releuer les corps. Nous adiouftasmes neantmoins apres tout cela, que comme ils eftoient enterrez dans les bois, & puis qu'ils le defiroiẽt fi fort, nous ferions contens de leuer leurs os, à condition qu'ils nous accordaffent de les mettre en vne foffe particuliere auec les os de tous ceux que nous auions baptifez dans le Païs. Quatre raisons principales nous porterent à leur faire cette réponse. I. Comme c'eft le plus grand témoignage d'amitié & d'alliance qu'ils ayent dans le Païs, nous [215] leur accordions déja en ce point ce qu'ils fouhaittoient, & faifions paroiftre par là, que nous defirions les aymer comme nos freres, & viure & mourir auec eux. 2. Nous efperions que Dieu en feroit glorifié, principalement, en ce que feparant par l'aueu de tout le Païs les corps des Chreftiens, d'auec les corps des Infideles, il n'euft pas esté difficile par apres d'obtenir des particuliers que leurs Chreftiens fuffent enterrez en vn Cimetiere à part, que nous benirions pour cét effect. 3. Nous preten dions les enterrer auec toutes les ceremonies de l'E glife. 4. Les Anciens de leur propre mouuement defiroient que nous y fiffions dreffer vne belle & magnifique Croix, comme ils nous témoignerent par apres plus particulierement. Ainfi la Croix eust esté authorisée de tout le Païs, & honorée en cette Barbarie, & ils n'euffent eu garde par apres de luy imputer, comme ils ont fait par le paffé, les malheurs qui leur arriueroient. Ce Capitaine trouua nostre proposition fort raisonnable, & les Anciens du Païs en demeurerent fort contens. Quelque temps apres la chaudiere fut diuisée, & [216] comme i'ay dit, cinq Villages de cette pointe glorified thereby,- mainly in this, that, in thus separating, with the consent of the whole Country, the bodies of Christians from those of Unbelievers, it would not have been difficult afterwards to obtain from private persons that their Christians should be interred in a Cemetery apart, which we would consecrate for that purpose. 3. We were intending to inter them with all the ceremonies of the Church. 4. The Elders, of their own accord, wished us to erect a beautiful and magnificent Cross, as they stated afterwards more particularly. Thus the Cross would have been authorized by the whole Country, and honored in the midst of this Barbarism, and they would not have taken pains thereafter to impute to it, as they have done in the past, the misfortunes that might overtake them. This Chief found our proposition very reasonable, and the Elders of the Country seemed to be pleased with it. Some time after, the kettle was divided, and, [216] as I have said, five Villages of the part where we are, resolved to have their feast by themselves. In the Spring, a general Assembly of the Notables of the whole Country took place, to consider everything connected with this feast, to endeavor to heal this schism, and to reunite the kettle. The disaffected ones were there, and I was invited also. The same proposition was made to me; I replied that we would be quite satisfied provided the conditions we had asked should be fulfilled. They referred to the division of the kettle, and asked me,- since there were two kettles, that is, two pits,—with which did I desire our private grave to be. To this I answered, in order not to offend any one, that I referred the mat où nous fommes, fe refolurent de faire leur feste à part. Au Printemps il se fit vne Affemblée generale des Notables de tout le Païs, pour aduifer à tout ce qui concernoit cette feste, & pour tascher d'ofter ce fchifme, & reünir la chaudiere. Ces efprits mécontens s'y trouuerent: i'y fus auffi inuité; on me fit la mefme proposition: ie respondis que nous en ferions tres-contents, pourueu que cela fe fift auec les conditions que nous auions demandé. On me fit instance fur la diuifion de la chaudiere, & me demanderent, puis qu'il y auoit deux chaudieres, c'est à dire deux foffes, de quel cofté ie defirois que fuft noftre fosse particuliere. A cela ie leur fis refponse, pour n'offenfer perfonne, que ie remettois la chofe à leur iugement, qu'ils eftoient bons & fages, qu'ils y aduisassent entre eux. Le Maiftre du feftin de la Rochelle dit là deffus par condefcendance, que pour luy il n'y pretendoit rien, & qu'il eftoit content que l'autre, qui eft le Chef de cette pointe, euft de fon cofté les corps de nos deux Francois. Cetui-cy refpondit qu'il ne pretendoit rien à celuy qui auoit [217] efté enterré à la Rochelle; mais que pour le corps d'Eftienne Bruslé il luy appartenoit, que c'eftoit luy qui l'auoit embarqué & emmené en ce Païs: ainfi voila les corps diuifez l'vn d'vn cofté, l'autre de l'autre. Là deffus quelqu'vn dit fous main, qu'en effet il auoit droit de demander le corps d'Estienne Bruflé, & qu'il estoit bien raifonnable qu'ils rendiffent quelque honneur à fes os, puis qu'ils l'auoient tué. Cecy ne fe peût dire si fecrettement, que ce Capitaine n'en euft le vent; il diffimula neantmoins fur l'heure fes fentimens. Apres le Confeil, comme nous eftions déja fortis, il releua ter to their judgment; that they were good and wise, and could talk over the affair among themselves. The Master of the feast of la Rochelle then said, condescendingly, that, so far as he was concerned, he claimed nothing; that he was perfectly satisfied that the other, who is the Chief at this place, should have on his side the bodies of our two Frenchmen. The other replied that he laid no claim to him who had [217] been buried at la Rochelle; but, as for the body of Estienne Bruslé it belonged to him, since he had embarked him and brought him into the Country; and thus the bodies were divided, one on one side, one on the other. Thereupon some one said, in an undertone, that he was quite right in asking the body of Estienne Bruslé,- that it was very reasonable that they should render honor to his bones, since they had killed him. This was not said so discreetly as not to be heard by the Captain; he dissembled his feelings, however, for the time being. After the Council, when we had left, he took notice of the reproach, and had very high words with the Captain of la Rochelle; and finally ceased to lay any claim to the body of Bruslé, in order not to irritate and reopen this wound, from which those of this part have not yet purged themselves. This made us also deem it best, with those of la Rochelle, not to touch either the one or the other. Truly there is reason here to admire the secret judgments of God; for that infamous wretch did not deserve to have this honor shown him; and, to tell the truth, we would have had [218] much difficulty in resolving to make on this occasion a private Grave, and in transporting to consecrated Ground a dead man that had lived so scandalous a life in the Coun cette reproche, & se prit bien fort de parole auec le Ce qui nous fit auffi refoudre à faire trouuer bon à Finiray-ie la prefente par cette ceremonie funebre? |